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City of Heroes or Villains or Rogues

Posts

Apart from sidekicking, the chat system in CoX made every other game look like plastic cups with a string between them by comparison.

I will always have fond memories of playing this with forum duders. Playing aorund with 3 or 4 masterminds on the same team, hilarious. And Team Squadron was and will remain one of the most memorable fun times in an MMO ever.

Oh hey, this was great news to discover by word of mouth floating around pax, since mobile connectivity is basically hosed in the convention center as usual. The fact that CO will now outlive it is probably the worst travesty here.

Sucks more that because they're disbanding the studio, all the work on their next mmo has effectively been for nothing.

The fact that CO will now outlive it is probably the worst travesty here.

CO has some years to go before it matches the lifetime of CoX. And come to think of it, City of Heroes has stood up alongside as long as (longer than?) WoW has at this point, that's pretty impressive. It didn't have 10 million subscribers but they stuck to their fucking guns.

This is a serious downer to stumble across today... I'm in the crowd of haven't played in quite a while but always took a little joy in the option of being able to hop back in and dish out some justice in Paragon City. I'll always miss my original Broadsword/Regen Scrapper, or my Rad/Rad Defender or the dozens and dozens of other combos I've slapped together over the years. Hell, this game helped me develop my writing creativity simply by giving me the option to write in a backstory to the original character kernel that popped in my head.

At least the guys over at Paragon can walk out with their heads high, knowing that they rumbled with the big boys of the industry and held their own for a long time. (Small solace as that may be.)

I remember during one of the first free weekends (like totally free for everyone) during the sub days, we had people coming back and new people.

We somehow wound up in the Hollows. And we just CRUSHED it. There were about 3 full times of us sidekicked to various levels, just steamrolling through the area where Flux was. We were actually out killing the mob spawns, spouting 300 quotes.

The most disappointing thing about this to me is how it's ending. I always knew it would end. Maybe not this soon, but I was prepared for it happening. I was prepared for the devs someday coming out and saying "well, the game's coming to an end. But don't worry, we're going out in style!" and then talking about a grand game ending event.

Instead we're getting...this. Devs all but thrown out on the street, no warning, no grand finale. Just "you're fired!" followed by a whimper.

Even though the character got nerfed horribly until finally I couldn't stand it anymore and left, I have always had a soft-spot for the game.

There's quite a few people in this thread bashing Champs Online, and while I'm sorry some of you guys dislike the game, I thought I'd mention that the reaction in our game to this games demise has been depression. Virtually every single one of us used to play CoX, and even though we left for various reasons not a one of us wanted to see it die.

There's quite a few people in this thread bashing Champs Online, and while I'm sorry some of you guys dislike the game, I thought I'd mention that the reaction in our game to this games demise has been depression. Virtually every single one of us used to play CoX, and even though we left for various reasons not a one of us wanted to see it die.

Yeah. There's a topic on the closure over at CO's forums and while I haven't checked it recently, the first three or four pages have been full of posts much like ours over it. I think a CO-player would have to be a real jerk or idiot to celebrate the closure and think CoH's existence played no part in CO being around.

Positron was saying they're not even sure if they'll have forums access next week.

There will be no grand event, no last hurrah

the devs have all gotten their pink slips

Yea, the first MMO I ever played was Earth & Beyond, which was killed by EA a month after I started playing it. And even EA just killed their new development and let the devs give it a graceful death.

All I can imagine is that this is an idiotic move to try and make their stock numbers look better (somehow) for the next quarter or two, because the company is run by people who have never understood CoH at all. Remember when they tried selling CoH to Koreans and how hard it failed? The kind of gameplay design CoH used just didn't fit the mindset of Korean gamers at all. I mean, not trying to paint all Koreans with the same brush and all, but this move seems really insensitive to the hundreds of thousands of current and former CoH fans and I feel like they don't know what the fuck they're doing. The more I think about it the angrier I get. I know after E&B, I swore never to play another EA MMO again, which I only broke with TOR because BioWare's basically my favorite game company.

I feel that the fact that it's the only NCSoft game that isn't in the Korean market at all is a factor in it getting killed like this.

Agreed, but it was NCSoft that botched that launch, not the dev team. You told us that story yourself in [chat], Korean players didn't understand not having "gear" but enhancements, didn't understand visual character customization being divorced from statistical effect enhancing items, and instead of having a launch that introduced the new players to this new and interesting system, it threw it at them and they naturally didn't respond to the game.

I think CoH could have been wildly successful if launched properly in asia. As things stand right now there are robust French and Brazilian communities on CO, proving that superheroes are not some exclusively American thing.

First off, of course is Scooter. Force Field superspeedster mutant, uses his powers for fame and celebrity. (FF/Energy Defender)

The Shining Spirit, former cop and martial artist who was given mystical artifacts by her master, giving her great speed, strength, regeneration, and flashy yellow skin whenever she puts them on. (MA/Regen Scrapper)

The Sable Spirit, (non-identical) twin sister of Shiny. Born with the mutant powers of psionics and blue skin, she never quite cut it as a hero until joining with the Warshade Sabelion. (Warshade)

The Aegis Phantom, a disciple of the Japanese mystic school known as the Path of the Living Light. She summons light elementals to fight by her side, and can manipulate light as if it were a solid object. (Illusion/FF Controller)

Nordic Golem, a Viking smith who was tricked into creating a cursed axe, and was then murdered by it, transforming him into a mindless stone golem. After his axe was recovered from a collection of Hellion artifacts, he has since done the bidding of Power's Allegory. (Stone/Axe Tank)

Lady Threnody, Praetorian of Operative Threnody. Born into a family of privilege and powers, she always wanted powers of her own. Unfortunately, the doctors she hired to give her cybernetic upgrades went far further than she had agreed to, losing most of her limbs, skin, and organs in the process. Humbled by her loss, she joined the Resistance to fight against those who believe in power at all costs. (Elec/Elec Dominator)

Lady Parabellum, trained to be an assassin from birth. She fled her order after being upset at being unable to choose her own targets, and has become a vigilante so that she can kill without worrying too much about her conscience. She loves to shoot things, and she is very, very good at it. (DP/Psi Blaster)

La Espina, a Columbian mutant born with great control over plant life. She was 'bought' at a young age by the drug cartels to create faster-growing, more potent crops, and later to act as an assassin. She became a free agent mercenary after Hollywood Nocturne killed her bosses, but has never enjoyed her life of crime and is working to redeem herself. (Plant/Thorns Dominator)

Alraune (aka "Blind Al"), a Germanic archer who was promoted to the ranks of the Valkyries in death. However, she wouldn't shut up about how the Valkyries ought to be doing more on Earth to help the mortals, and was eventually blinded, bound with Fire Giant chains, and banished for her annoyances. Someone must've liked her, though, as she can now sense her targets with even greater accuracy, and even control the flames. (Archery/Fire Blaster)

Shapshu was once a fire sorceress, until she was chosen to become the avatar of the Canaanite Sun Goddess. For centuries she has done her bidding, and these days is investigating why an avatar of Lotan has become active in the Rogue Isles. (Fire/Thermal Controller)

By day, he is a mild mannered President.

But by other times of the day...

He. IS. B-ROCK SUPERALLAH!

Sarah Helms has been many things in her life. She was once the Battle Medic, a pacifist healer, but after being abandoned to a 5th Column prison for several weeks, she turned to a life of vigilantism and psychosis. First in Paragon (AR/Dev Blaster):

Then in the Rogue Isles, after forcing a few minor gangs to aid her at gunpoint (Thugs/Traps MM):

However, after spending a few weeks in the hospital and losing her eye in a fight with a future Lord Recluse, she came to terms with her life and re-devoted herself to heroism as a Longbow Warden (MA/Shield Scrapper):

Overlord Slider is the Praetorian version of Scooter. Instead of turning his force fields to defend others, he focused them on turning himself invincible. Like Scooter he desires adoration and power, unlike Scooter he enjoys causing pain to get it. (Energy/Energy Brute)

Splendid Spirit is the Praetorian version of Shining Spirit. Also a PPD veteran, she instead took her artifacts from her master and turned him in for being resistance. Her artifacts are slightly different, and instead allow her to move more swiftly through time as she fights. (KM/WP Scrapper)

Operative Threnody always wanted powers, and volunteered for an Arachnos Super Soldier power to get them, in the form of Sonic abilities. However, her program's funding was cut, her powers taken, and she was reassigned to the Blood Widows. Angered by this, she now pushes the limits of her authority to take back as much power as she can get. (Widow)

Lotan, an avatar of the Canaanite serpent God of Sea and Storms. Lotan was annoyed by the presence of the Coralax in his oceans, and sent his avatar to learn more about them, and destroy them if necessary.

Huntress Fenja, a Nordic Frost Giant who has long hated mankind. She fights now for Arachnos as they value combat and warfare, but she existed before them and expects to exist for long after. (Bane Spider)

Hollywood Nocturne, former black ops agent turned mercenary. He lost all sense of patriotism after killing many considered to be heroes in southeast Asia and South America, and went freelance. His powers come from a variety of sources gathered by Malta, and allows him to convert himself to a form of black smoke, giving him the ability to fly, regenerate, and create concealing clouds. (Merc/Dark MM)

Bellatrix Belle, a special operative of the galactic police and peacekeeping force, the Squadron. When criminals hide in time as well as space, they call in a temporal operative like Belle. Permanently assigned to Earth, she's just returned from a stint in 1850s London. (Beam Rifle/Time corr)

An agent of the underworld goddess Hela, Hela's Huntress exists to do her bidding on the mortal plane. (Demons/Pain MM)

A young couple, both biologists, were ambushed and apparently killed by poachers while exploring their native India. One, though, was brought to a secret temple where she was merged with a spirit of nature, becoming the Jungle Justicar. (Dual Blades/Ninja Stalker)

Count all the crows you want, but when Hell needs a thief, they call the Seventh Magpie. (Mace/Fire brute)

The Praetorian Ms. Judgement was a combat medic for the Syndicate criminal empire. After spending some time in the tender care of Emperor Cole's prisons, she decided organized crime wasn't enough and became an all-out terrorist for liberty. (Dual Pistols/Empathy defender)

The Praetorian Sable Spirit, Sable Seer never merged with a warshade. Instead, she was admitted to Mother Mayhem's Seer program, where she was too inward-focused to ever fit in. Instead she has been reassigned to Power Division to see if she is an asset or a liability. (Psi/Mind dominator)

A mechanical and electrical engineer, Warren Smith built himself a power suit for power punching: the War Smith project. (Invince/Energy tank)

A doctor in biochemistry by training, weather-controlling mutant Angela Winters gained interest in interdimensional physics when her superhero sister was lost in space-time. Using a suit built by War Smith, she became Warpstorm. (Gravity/Storm controller)

A member of Squadron laid off by budget cuts, the criminal-tracker Yrrrlrr decided to become the earth-based PI known as Detective Yowler, helping Vanguard and the PPD on extraterrestrial cases. (Sonic/Psi defender)

Pink Glove. She's got a bio but I'll just leave it to your imaginations.

City of Heroes has probably done more revolutionary shit in MMOs than a lot of the trumped up stuff you see today. Shit, it was probably more casual-friendly than WoW has ever been.

The game had no real loot to speak of besides enhancements and inspirations. The combat kept things simple with a handful of skills that you chose from your build. The game tried to move away from the healer/tank/damage roles, particularly with healing. While heal-focused Defenders existed, you could keep the party trucking with more buff or debuff-oriented powersets. The game focused on missions about as much as WoW did with quests, albeit things did dry up here and there in the game's infancy. Task Forces were lengthy story-focused arcs that really challenged your group and normally climaxed against a supervillain of some time. It really made the game less intimidating to get into.

Shit, it was a game ahead of its time. Badges were basically achievements before Microsoft had ever thought of the concept. It had one of the greatest character creators ever, allowing for an insane amount of customization and personal tweaking. It was an MMORPG that wasn't just the standard fantasy or sci-fi. It was also an evolving world, where the story would bring drastic changes. The ousting of the Fifth Column was pretty crazy even if it was just swapping some names here and there. Shit, you got a goddamn comic book every month or so just by being subscribed (let's ignore that they tapped Tim fucking Buckley for "bonus comics" at the end of the issue), which was not terrible for a freebie!

The feel was also really solid. City of Heroes taught what the word "mob" meant for incredibly wrong reasons. This is because you literally fought mobs of enemies in City of Heroes. You didn't one-on-one or any of this bullshit: an average solo pull could be around 10 bastards depending on the group. You felt like a badass straight from Security Level 1, and things just escalated as you went from common thugs, to robots, to plant people, to fucking Nazi werewolves, and then you find out that the homeless are being turned into aliens. Shit was just insane, and this doesn't get into the alternate dimensions that are trying to kill everyone. All wrapped up in what felt like a large city, including areas that felt like warzones from alien assault or local villains. Or maybe the big monster that Hazard zones tended to house.

I didn't play CoX a ton, but I was hooked when I did. In some ways I am a little upset that WoW dragged me away from it, and was glad to give the game another two months when Villains came out, and then another month when Going Rogue launched. It was my first MMORPG, and one of the reasons I stopped lurking to post here. It showed me one of the potentials of video games that I was never aware of: creating vast, believable worlds that you actually got to play in as opposed to treated most of it like background.

Another of my favorite aspects of City of Heroes' design was the NPC factions progressing along with you. Like yeah, the 5th Column was soldiers at the start, but eventually you're fighting goddamn monsters and crazy robots.

I would love to see Kuchera do a look at this and at exactly what happened.

I...kinda don't? I mean, I dunno, I've been considering picking up GW2, but if it's gonna make me really really angry at NCSoft as opposed to being annoyed, but kinda blissfully ignorant of what actually happened....I don't want to feel guilty about buying GW2.

Another of my favorite aspects of City of Heroes' design was the NPC factions progressing along with you. Like yeah, the 5th Column was soldiers at the start, but eventually you're fighting goddamn monsters and crazy robots.

or all the stuff with the Lost and the Rikti and THE BIG REVEAL related to that

Another of my favorite aspects of City of Heroes' design was the NPC factions progressing along with you. Like yeah, the 5th Column was soldiers at the start, but eventually you're fighting goddamn monsters and crazy robots.

or all the stuff with the Lost and the Rikti and THE BIG REVEAL related to that

That's the nice thing about CoH. I dunno how it goes in DC's MMO but CoH was 100% original lore so you could have all sorts of stories and characters without stepping on anyone's toes or violating any 'do-not-create' guidelines.